1 Playground Shuffle

[2rd grade]

"Mirai! catch!"

A young sunny tosses a large, but light, rubber ball at another young girl. Sunny's smile was equally as illuminating as her name. The girl wore a lavender dress that had cat ears adorned on a hood with black tights situated underneath. She gently bounces over to an equally young but much more timid Mirai. She wears a light pink dress, hemmed with frills and sligthly poofed out at the arms. She stumbles a bit as she tries to catch the ball in both her hands.

"!!!!"

"I-I got it!"

She cheers and lets out excited smile. Sunny's face brigthens again, this time with a pale pink flushed over her cheeks.

"Good job Mirai! I knew you could do it!"

Just then, a couple of young boys snatch the ball away from Mirai. One with a bandage over his cheeks, probably from rough housing with his mates too much.

"Give us that! It's OUR turn to play with it now. Shouldn't you girls be doing something more girly, like playing house or something?"

Mirai freezes in position, unable to respond with them or run away. The boys huddle around her and look satisfied with their dominance over the small lady. She feels too scared to even take a step. Just then, Sunny lets out a loud hiss and positions her body on all fours, her hood slightly covering the top of her eyes. She hisses again aggressively, like a cat ready to pounce.

"HIIIIISSSSS!!!"

"What the heck do you think you're doing?!"

The boys all take one step back, looking visibly confused.

"Get away from Mirai and drop the ball or I'll attack you with my cat powers!"

Mirai continues her stance but threatens the children by clawing in the air like a cat. She thinks her clawing is intimidating them, but the boys sort of just look at her like she's a mess.

" You're being stupid, do you actually think your a cat? Besides if you hit me you'll get in trouble."

The boy responds to Sunny's taunts in triumph, thinking he had overcome this freakish obstacle. As he turns around to prepare to leave with his crew, Sunny runs up to him on all fours and tackles him to the ground.

"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"HIISSSSSSSS!!!"

Sunny begins to claw him across the face like she's Wolverine or something. The boy covers his face with both his arms trying to protect himself.

"GET OFF ME!!"

"HISSSS!!"

The other boys and Mirai are visibly too shocked by the attack to fully register what had happened, until one of the boys friends snaps out of it to try and pry Sunny off. The other boy follows and shouts at her.

"Hey! Get off Leo or I'm telling the teacher on you!"

The other boy runs away to get the teachers aide on the playground to guide him to the incident. By the time he comes back, both Mirai and Sunny are gone and Leo is left a tearful mess of scratch marks and blood with the other boy who tried to pry the girl off right next to him. The aide automatically assumes that he did it and begins to lecture him to the boys dismay. Leo was still balling his eyes out and unable to clear the misunderstanding.

GIRLS BATHROOM

Mirai and Sunny let out large exasperated gasps as they try to take in more air. They had narrowly escaped the lecture from the teachers! Sunny turns to look at Mirai, her breath heavy and her forehead a bit shiny from sweat.

"ha...hha... a...are you ok Mirai?..."

Mirai glances over at Sunny and shoots her a thumbs up and a nod of approval. Sunny smiles back, happy that Mirai is back to her usual self. After she's gotten enough air she stands up straight again and pulls the ball from under her arm in triumph.

"Hehe! Look Mirai, I got the ball back so now we can play again!"

The schoolbell rings.

"..."

"Well at least, I didnt get caught!"

Fast forward, Sunny is in the principals office afterschool waiting for her parents to arrive. When they both do, she quickly tries to defend herself to them but to no avail, the discussion ends fast as she's now forced to stay inside during recess hours and write standards for a month. She walks outside first, her head downcast, as she imagknes all the time she would lose playing with Mirai. As she exits the door, said girl pops out in front of her with a concerned look on her face.

"Is everything alright? You didnt get in trouble right? If so, I'll go in there and say its my fault!"

Mirai panicking immediately toughens Sunny up as she pulls herself together.

"Dont worry! It's not a big deal, I just got a month of no recess. I guess you'll have to play with yourself for a bit! haha."

Sunny lets out a sort of strained chuckles, masking her disappointment. She pats Mirai on the head consoling her. Mirai holds her hand and turns up to her galantly.

"Don't worry Sunny. I wont leave you alone. I'll stay in during recess with you too! That way we can cut the time im half!"

"!!!"

Sunny giggles, unable to hold in her laighter. She is completely overwhelmed by Mirai's comments.

"Pftt- thats not how it works...kekeke....but thank you Mirai."

She gives Mirai and big hug and as her dad pulls up on his van. He is a lean man who looks barely 30, wearing a plain grey t shirt, and with relatively sparce stubble.

"Mirai I'm here!"

Sunny doesnt hear him and continues to hold onto her. Tight.

"Uhm..Sunny? I have to go. My dads here."

"!!!"

Sunnys cheeks flush again as she pulls herself away from Mirai and tries to hide herself.

"S-sorry!"

"Haha, it's ok. Ill see you tomorrow Sunny!"

Mirai runs off to her dad, waving goodbye at the friend behind her. Sunny waves back as she watches her get into the van and sees the silhouette slowly disappear. She stands there for a moment and her brains fries again thinking about what she had just done. She crouches down covering her face again just as her parents walk out.

"Sunny...what are you doing?..."